From George’s FB page…
Happy Friday! The last Friday before Christmas. So, get out there and get your shopping done this weekend.
Today I'm here to make a major announcement. After months of deep soul-searching, I've decided to step away from the amp business. There are many varied reasons for this and I'm sure it's the right decision.
With this announcement made, here are some points:
The whys.
Health. This blood pressure is kicking my ass and surely indicates a serious health issue. I need to focus on being more healthy. One way to do that is to eliminate stress. Running a small business is nothing if not stressful.
For nearly 25 years now I have given 100% day in day out. I've joked that I sold my soul to the amp industry and everyday it comes to collect.
Keeping this business running requires me to overachieve at all times. It demands far, far more than I have the stamina to give these days. When I can't give 100% I can't provide the Metropoulos experience I want each of our customers to have. That wears on me.
Metropoulos demands and deserves a tireless force of nature at the helm.
The market / industry.
Slow sales, part shortages, tariffs. These things affect us everyday. We need to sell about 10 amps per month to cover our payroll and overhead. Since Labor Day, we've taken 5 amp orders. That's unsustainable. I can't promise our crew there is work to do and paychecks coming on Fridays when we don't sell amps.
It's not just our little amp company feeling this pinch, the entire industry is down right now. Every week another guitar or amp manufacturer is closing their doors.
Demand. I've parsed my observations down to a few sentiments: first, we're building steam engines. The World doesn't really need any more of them. Second, everyone who wants a vintage Marshall, likely has 3 or more already. Anyone who wants a high end tube amp, likely has several of those, as well. Those players are likely plugging into a modeler or digital emulation more often than their beloved tube amps. It's the trend, the technology is exciting, the tone isn't as far off as it used to be and the convenience supersedes the tonal benefits of big, heavy, loud, expensive tube amps. I get it and I don't begrudge anyone!
Finances. Not to disclose my finances, but suffice to say I'm not making any money in this business. I've lived like a starving artist, made many sacrifices, poured every dollar made back into the business and operated with zero financial safety net for two and a half decades. I have no savings, no retirement, no health insurance. I followed my passion and have no regrets for that. But, I have to make some money and have access to health treatment. It's time.
Mission accomplished. This goes to the literal heart of the matter and sheds light on my character. I'm obsessive and relentless. I started with a self-imposed mandate to separate cranked plexi tone from sheer volume. I obsessed over vintage amps, documented everything I could measure trying to "crack the code" and learn why they sound the way they do. Eventually, the Audio Precision came into my life and I began archiving DNA samples of every old amp that crossed my bench. Armed with this genetic data, I started over from scratch and after several months emerged with the Metro-Plex MK II. At last, authentic plexi tone at any volume. I fulfilled the mandate. The engineering challenge was complete.
I believe the Metro-Plex MK II is the best amp of it's kind. Not being boastful or arrogant. Just knowing that I didn't stop until it satisfied my obsessive expectations AND held it's own against the best of the best reference amps I strived to emulate.
Here in my 50's I'm at the end of a journey that started as a teenager taking everything apart to see it works. Then taking electronics classes and opening a repair shop. Later, as a professional guitar player, building my own gear and torture testing it on the road. Finally, in the amp business, setting out to create what is now the MK II. Mission accomplished!
After decades of pursuit, I'm done. I finished it. I need a new challenge.
The How and When.
We have less than ten 100 watt amps left to build to fill our orders. All 50 watts are built and the last few have burned in and will ship soon. Over the next 6 weeks we should have filled our amp obligations.
Most of the parts bins are nearly empty now. We've been buying only the quantity of things we need to fill the orders. There are some chassis left, but no extra transformers or tubes. If there are parts for a few extra 100 watts, we may build those. But, I'm not going to order 25 expensive pc boards just to build a few amps. Effectively, when the parts are gone, that's it. I'm not interested in building a few amps per month in my basement as a hobby. I've built 100's (possibly 1,000) of amps over my career, I've scratched that itch.
Speaker cabinets. Despite our best intentions, we just can not reliably deliver the 2-12 slant cabs that you have placed down-payments for. I've been holding out for this to not be true, hoping I might somehow to will it to be. But, I have to concede. The mandatory elements are just not in place. The money for parts and speakers, the shipping cartons, the payroll and the time needed do not exist.
I believe we have 13 down payments for these cabs. I'll begin refunding those weekly until everyone has their funds back.
I can not express how sorry I am and how defeating it is to fail on this. I hope that you will accept my apology and I beg your forgiveness.
Regarding cabs, all is not lost! Despite my journey coming to an end, Chuck's is ramping up. Our in-house cab artisan will be open for cab business. I'm providing all of my CAD files, old cab data, hardware documentation, parts resources and the tools for Chuck to hit the ground running. I won't speak for Chuck, but I suspect his first product will be a 2-12 slant cab.
I'm giving all of my love, support and full endorsement.
FX loops. The inventor or the Zero Loss FX loop, Steve Miller will be taking it back and keeping it available. Our omnipotent guru is the obvious and only choice to carry on the legacy of his design. His circuit has found it's way into countless amps. It's OEM in many brands every guitar player knows. It's been copied, knocked off, stolen. Yet, remains ubiquitous. I'll post updates as he gets a website up and running.
he Future.
What's next for me? Everyone keeps telling me I'll be back. I'll miss designing and manufacturing amps. I don't think so. What else do I have to prove? I've designed and manufactured for my own Metropoulos brand, as well as companies you know well.
What I do not aspire to do anytime soon is run a business. I'm exhausted. The administrative workload is relentless and never ending. Eternal crisis and problems to solve. A big commercial building to maintain. Machines that break down. The list of tasks that only I handle for Metropoulos is huge. Most days are triage in the shop. At times, when I have spent time away from the shop....those mission critical tasks are all waiting for me upon my return.
What I look forward to moving forward, is to be creative again. Whether playing guitar, recording and mixing music, cooking, writing or just bugging Cris and doing silly stuff to make her laugh. That's where I feel I'm leading with my best traits.
It's time to rejuvenate. To prioritize my health. Lower my blood pressure. Cleanse that anxiety induced Cortisol from my system.
Gratitude.
I want to sincerely thank everyone who has been a part of this journey. Your friendship, support, patronage and enthusiasm for Metropoulos has provided me the opportunity to chase this dream and indulge these passions. I'm eternally grateful. I still recall the names of my first two customers who bought turret board kits from me back in 2003. Chris L and Stan M. Thanks for giving me a chance to get started.
I've developed true friendships with some really outstanding people that I'd never had met without the amp biz. You can't place a price on that.
In my heart, I'm ready to move on to my next challenge. My next creative adventure. Something I can give my 100% to emphatically. Something that drives me to be the best version of me that I am capable of being.
With that, I bid you this single parting wisdom:
PLAY LOUD!
